Dentistry a Way of Life

Husband and wife tandem in Dover share passion for healthy smiles.

By Pam George • Photos by Ron Dubick

Published: 05.27.2014

Robert W. Webster

General Dentistry | Dover

For Robert Webster and his wife, Stacey, dentistry is not just a profession. “It’s a way of life,” says Webster. The Elmira, N.Y., native specializes in cosmetic treatments. Stacey Webster is a dental hygienist. Even Webster’s hobby, ice hockey, has a link to his profession. “I’d love to be a dentist for a professional hockey team,” he says.

How did an upstate New Yorker land in Dover? In high school, Webster spent a grueling summer working in asbestos removal. “I
realized I was not cut out for heavy labor,” he jokes. So he opted to make a career out of his favorite subjects, math and science.

Webster enlisted in the Air Force both to serve his country and to get a scholarship to dental school. While in the service, he was
stationed at Dover Air Force Base, where he was chief of forensic dentistry. (Dental records, he says, can often provide a swifter identification than DNA tests.) He also provided dentistry services to personnel on the base.

Webster’s private practice combines the science of oral healthcare with aesthetics. Not only can he make sure his patients have a healthy smile, but he can also change the way the smile looks.

Services include teeth whitening, Invisalign—which straightens teeth with a series of “aligners”—dental implants, dentures, veneers, crowns and fixed bridgework. “With our patients, we come up with a plan,” Webster says. “Every person’s life is different. Their teeth are different, and their expectations are different.”

Webster, a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, often refers to “perfect imperfection.” “The goal is to look nice but natural,” he explains. Most of us have seen celebrities with perfectly even, white teeth that look too big and too blindingly bright. The color of your teeth should complement your skin tone, he says.

What’s more, there are many people who appreciate an imperfection, such as a slight variance in their front teeth. “It’s part of their personality,” Webster says. “It’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We communicate with our patients so we know what they want and we’re all on the same page.”